Tag Archives: Texas 2015 legislature

From Yolanda Adams to Susan Graham to ZZ Top, the state of Texas is a rich one indeed for music. There is barely a type of world music that cannot be found here, and the titans gospel, classical, and folk genres abound. Legendary stories have come from the South by Southwest festival, and epic Hip Hop scenes.

But from the government standpoint, all of those diverse industries have a little help via the Texas Music Office, which represents and promotes over 15,000 registered artists and groups. With a new Governor, naturally, comes new leadership for the state’s central music industry connector. Here’s the story from Reeve Hamilton of the Texas Tribune…

Gov. Greg Abbott has tapped Brendon Anthony as the next head of the Texas Music Office, his office announced on Friday. Anthony is known for, among other things, playing fiddle in Texas singer-songwriter Pat Green’s band.

According to state statute, the Texas Music Office, which is housed in the governor’s office, is expected to “promote the development of the music industry in the state by informing members of that industry and the public about the resources available in the state for music production.” The staff also serves as the liaison between the industry and state government.

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Since the Texas Music Office was created in 1990, it has been run by Casey Monahan, a former music writer. This month, word got out that Monahan would not be kept around in the Abbott administration.

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In an interview, Anthony spoke highly of Monahan’s tenure.

“No one can express gratitude enough for a man who devoted 25 years of his life to this office,” he said of his predecessor. “He was a great voice for Texas musicians and businesses.”

Also Friday, the governor’s office named Bryan Daniel as the new director of the Economic Development and Tourism Division. The division will now oversee the Texas Film Commission, the Texas Music Office, the Women’s Commission and the Workforce Investment Council, following a restructuring designed to streamline operations under the governor’s office.

With Casey Monahan’s ouster, many in the music industry feared that Governor Abbott would try to downsize the vital organization, or get rid of it altogether. But the hire of Mr. Anthony, a venerable force within the state’s vast music scene, should calm those fears. As a member of the Pat Green band, Anthony was a beneficiary of former Director Monahan’s hard work. This pick seems to be a sound one.

It will be interesting to see what the next era of the Texas Music Office holds.

With the New Year comes a whole crop of new leaders for the Lone Star State. With the election of Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and everyone else, Texas has now had its most significant transition of power in the 21st century. Indeed, Abbott will only be the second person to hold the state’s top job in this century.

But despite the time-tested song lyric, old acquaintance shall not be forgot, at least not totally. Ex-Governor Rick Perry is sure to dominate the news cycle as he mounts his second run to be President of the United States. Funny… for a guy that spends so much time complaining about the “burdens of government”, Perry sure does seem to enjoy government jobs. It’s quite ironic.

The other really big news comes from Austin, as lawmakers reconvene for the 2015 legislative session. Despite strong campaign pledges to the contrary, pressures are mounting for the legislature to find a Texas solution for Medicaid Expansion. If left undone, state hospital funding sources will be decimated, and many more smaller healthcare facilities will be forced to close down. Whether Republicans hold ideological opposition to the law or not, ignoring the issue could spell certain doom for the state’s rural hospitals.

Fracking will also monopolize much political attention this year, as the lege tries to deal with how to punish the citizens of Denton for voting to ban the controversial practice within their municipality. Legislators also have to figure out a response to new clean air proposals for the EPA from the Obama administration, which would force the state to cut pollutants.

It’s no secret that the composition of the 2015 legislature will be much further to the fringe right than virtually any previous year. Which is why it shouldn’t be surprising to see that a bunch of Anti-Equality legislation has already been filed in advance of the upcoming session. As LGBT rights watchdog John Wright reports for the Texas Observer, it could be a tough couple of months for the Texas LGBT community…

…a month before the session begins, the flurry of legislation suggests that, thanks in part to the legalization of same-sex marriage across much of the nation, conservatives will challenge gay rights in the name of religious freedom in the 84th Texas Legislature.

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Experts say the amendments could limit cities’ ability to enforce LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances. In addition to Plano, cities that have passed LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances include Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.

That’s because business owners could claim exemptions from the ordinances if they have sincerely held religious beliefs—such as opposition to same-sex marriage—making it legal for them to fire employees for being gay or refuse service to LGBT customers.

“It blows a hole in your nondiscrimination protections if people can ignore them for religious reasons,” said Jenny Pizer, senior counsel at the LGBT civil rights group Lambda Legal.

These “license to discriminate” bills will definitely be something to watch out for in Austin starting next week. But this week, all of the major legal action will take place in New Orleans, as the United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear challenges against the state’s marriage ban. As the nation’s most Conservative appeals court, no one is quite sure how the ruling will come out.

Finally, just because the 2014 election fever has broken doesn’t mean that the fun stops until November 2016. This month, there will be a whopping 3 special elections, as voters try to fill seats vacated by State Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Rep. Mike Villarreal and Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt.

Whatever triumphs and challenges lie ahead, you can be sure that Texas Leftist is on the case for 2015. No matter who leads in the state house or City Hall, the Progressive, Common-Sense Agenda will always be a a vital part of Texas politics.

Texas Leftist takes a look at the rapid growth of the Houston Area Pastor Council. If Houstonians think think the fight over the Equal Rights Ordinance is over, they better think again. One of the country’s most powerful hate groups is now in our back yard.